Chaturanga Dandasana is a challenging asana that’s an essential part of many different yoga practices. Also known as Four-Limbed Staff Pose, the whole body is parallel to the floor, stiff as a staff (spine) with the four limbs equally supporting the body. This posture requires complete body integration.
A perfect Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a key part of the Sun Salutation sequence that strengthens your arms, chest, and wrists and is a great preparation for arm balances. Many students attempt the full posture without fully understanding the pose or taking the time to practice the strengthening components to build the foundation. Needless to say, majority of students are practicing this pose incorrectly.
Here are some common mistakes you will see in Chaturanga:
1. Anterior rotation of the shoulders: Due to weakness in the upper body. Shoulder heads roll forward as elbows bend to lower down.
2. Collapsing in the chest: If shoulders roll forward, this creates a rounding in the upper back and the chest to cave in.
3. Deep arch in the lower back: Happens when abdominals are not engaged. Think plank when you begin to lower your body down.
4. Sagging hips: This happens because legs are not engaged to help support the lower body.
A great modification is to drop the knees to the floor and then lower into the pose. This will help to focus on strengthening the arms, back, and chest before you bring in the legs.
TRY THIS! This is a great technique that will guide you into the posture, strengthen all the muscles involved, and to slowly build a solid foundation to do Chaturanga the right way!